In terms of exercise, I managed to only walk about 3km. This is rather low for me, I walk 10 to 15 km most days.

I also help run at vegan outreach stall today in a small semi-rural town near the sea at a carnival/festival. We didn't do as well as we expected, in terms of shifting vegan cupcakes, but we did manage to talk and influence a couple of people to veganism.

And before I end this, I shall introduce myself. I am 27 years old and a mother to a very vibrant 3 year old vegan boy I will be starting med school at the end of February (our academic year is different to the northern hemisphere). I have been a vegan for 4 years now. I have been interested in bodybuilding training and competing for a number of years.

I would like to thank Robert and the team for accepting me as a participant, and I am looking forward to the mentorship from Michelle Risley.

Yesterday and today have not been good diet wise, however, I have done a fair bit of cardio.

I know I shouldn't use the fact that I am on holiday as an excuse to eat food that is not going to help me towards my goal.

My food for Tuesday is as follows:

Breakfast- Oats- Raisins- Shredded coconut- Soy milk

Morning tea- Peach- Banana

Lunch- Garlic bread

Afternoon tea- nothing

Dinner- Marinated tofu- Sir fry veges- Rice

Dessert- Soy ice cream- Chocolate sauce- Chopped peanuts.

I went for a 2 and a half hour walk. Walked 13.5km in total and burned 694 calories. I use Endomondo Pro on my phone to work out distance and calories burnt. I also managed to drink 3 litres of water on Tuesday.

My food today wasn't that good

Breakfast- 4 Weetbix- Raisins- Shredded coconut- Soy milk

Morning tea- Salt and vinegar chips- Peach

Lunch- Broad beans- Peanuts- Ginger beer

Afternoon tea- Cupcake

Dinner- Quinoa and millet crackers- Hummus- Avocado- Popcorn

I walked a total of 10km today and burned 506 calories.

I use Cron-o-meter on my phone and on the web to track my calorie intake, but to also make sure that I am getting the right amount of nutrients. At the moment I am running a deficiency in calcium, some of the B vitamins, and Omega 3. My iron and zinc levels are fine, as some of the foods I eat are fortified.

It is summer here in NZ, and I find it strange that I am eating the amount of fresh fruit and veg that I normally do.

So what I did was go to a bulk food place that sells many of the the foods that I normally eat, today, and brought food that I can eat for the rest of my holiday that will ensure that I will now remain on track.

I also have to stay away from gluten, as I have gluten sensitivity. However, I have been in gluten overload and my body looks and feels quite puffy from water retention and my body's reaction to gluten. I don't feel well because of it and I wonder why I do things like this to myself, when I know it affects my body the way that it does.

Thanks for the very organized and detailed journal updates. It helps me tremendoulsy. And based on your emails, I can tell you are very organized and disciplined.

Once you get home from holiday, I'd like to see your daily macros and daily weights (either here or via email). Your nutrition training and background will definitely help you prepare for your contest.

Keep up the great work and enjoy the rest of your trip! Touch base when you get a chance...

"The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be."~Ralph Waldo Emerson~

I sometimes feel like a fraud doing this challenge whilst I am on holiday, but it is a good accountability thing for me. I am loving your mentorship Michelle, and will most definitely be back on track with what I have planned when I get back home in 6 days time

You're not a fraud and you're doing great! Accountability is one of the biggest differences between good results and amazing results. Remember, it's not what you eat a few weeks out of the year that ruins your results; it's what you do rest of the 365 days that makes the difference. I splurge occasionally, too, when I'm not dieting for a show. But I always track what I eat and drink, every day.

Knowing exacly what your nutrition is, and how it is affecting you, is the first step. Don't worry, we'll get you on track next week.

"The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be."~Ralph Waldo Emerson~

Yesterday was a very good day for me, food wise, and I was happy that I was eating healthy food and had no crap whatsoever. I was tempted a couple of times, but I am starting to get my mind into the space that I am aiming to compete in May and that I need to get m food and exercise sorted.

Yesterday (Tuesday) is as follows:

Breakfast- Oats- Raisins- Shredded coconut- Almonds- Banana- Soy milk

Morning Tea- nothing, as was not hungry

Lunch- Went out for lunch at a vegetarian/vegan cafe. Had scrambled tofu with wilted spinach, along with two slices of wholegrain gluten-free toast with mashed avocado on top.

Afternoon tea- Nothing, as I was still full from lunch

Dinner- Went to a Hare Krishna restaurant with friends. As expected, had the vegan options. I had dahl, potato and pea curry, salad, carrot and okra curry, and small round flat bread thing. I only got a small plate (as it was a buffet), and I was satisfied with the serving I had.

I also managed to drink 4 litres of water (yay!), and also had two cups of herbal tea. I walked about 4km yesterday, which isn't a lot, but was out and about socialising with friends.

I head back to Auckland tomorrow, so today is my last day on holiday. I've now read Robert's book on vegan bodybuilding three times since being on a holiday, and have also been re-reading Brendan Brazier's book as well. Along with my nutrition training, I should be back on track when I get back home.

I'm getting really excited about this phase of my life at the moment. I will be starting at med school at the end of February, and I like that I have a health and fitness goal to work towards while I am studying. I also find working out a good form of stress relief

Hi Denise! We're halfway through the VBB New You for the New Year challenge! How are things going? I notice you haven't updated your journal in about a week... Are things okay? Hope you had a wonderful conclusion to your holiday and that you're right on track with your goals now that you're back at home.